Book Review!: Barefoot Contessa "Foolproof"

You guys.  I love Ina Garten.  My lovely family and friends even threw me a Barefoot Contessa themed bridal shower.  (I know.  I know.  It's amazing.  I should really post about that.)

So obviously I pre-ordered Foolproof, her newest book, so it would arrive at my doorstep the day it hit shelves.

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

 Is it good?  Oh, I don't know.... that's like asking "Does Ina love Jeffrey?"

:: Jeffrey!  Jeffrey!  Jeffrey! ::

Yup, that's right... dedication to Jeffrey... full page... right when you open it.  (We also learn in this book that besides roast chicken, Jeffrey loves green beans!)

Look, all you Ina fans know that she's not launching insanely innovative work, book after book.  It's a lot of re-treads, like: slightly different roasted vegetables, variations on pound cake (this one's in a bundt pan, not a loaf pan), her signature brownies, but topped with salted caramel this time.  But here's the thing: she's just good and her recipes are consistent and delicious.  It's like getting foolproof (ha!  she's so right!) recipes for all the foods you want to make, you just forgot about how much you wanted to make the recipes.

This is a great fall release -- it has a lot of roasted meats and vegetables and harvest-y desserts but, like all Ina books, it's an insta-classic just filled with all the normal yummy foods.

And sometimes she'll put a spin on something so standard, you're like "Why didn't I think of that?!"  For example, this is from a recipe for tomato soup.... but with a little somethin'-somethin' extra:

:: 2012 Ina: OMG-ing to the max! ::

I love her non-recipe sections where she just Ina-s out and lets us all into her world.  It's almost like we're best friends!

Here, she shares the gift she gave her friend Kristen:

Okay, on first thought, I was like "Whoa, Kristin is so lucky!!!" but then I thought if Ina was my friend and gave me that as a gift, I'd think:
1. Um, you just gave me something that's available on your website for free.  That ain't cool.
2. You make a gazillion dollars.  Can you give me something expensive, like a cool purse?

But I'd still just be stoked she was my friend.  And then wonder when I'd get to be a dinner guest on her show.

And what would an Ina book be without her Hamptons breeziness of making it all seem so accessible, and then realizing she's actually not at all like us?  There's a whole section about how she realized that she renovated her kitchen and picked the wrong sizes for her two ovens (spoiler alert: one is too big, the other is too small -- she would so rather have just two standard sized ones!)  And here's a great part about how she basically doesn't "do" freezing:

:: love the vodka and truffle butter! ::

And I want to leave you with what might be my favorite part of the book.... her friend pics!  I mean, obviously there's Jeffrey (obviously), but who are these other two white guys she hangs out with?  They are featured multiple times.

 

Will you get Ina's new book?  Who do you think these friends are?  Will she ever start freezing meals in advance?  What date do you think we'll meet and become close friends?  There are a million questions!!!